Ten women tennis players who achieved a career Grand Slam | Zee News Ten women tennis players who achieved a career Grand Slam Last Updated: Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 14:20 0 Follow @ZeeNewsSports Zeenews Sports Bureau New Delhi: After winning Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008, the new World No 1 Maria Sharapova completed her Grand Slam and became only the 10th women in the history to do so. The 25-year-old Russian underwent a shoulder surgery four years back after which she was uncertain about her future, she overcame all the hurdles to achieve the historic feat. Here is a list of all the ten women tennis players who have completed a career Grand Slam. 1) Maureen Connolly Brinker (USA): Fondly known as the Little Mo, Maureen was the first female tennis player to complete a career Grand Slam in the same year.

Australian Open: (1953) Wimbledon: (1952, 1953, 1954) US Open: (1951, 1952, 1953) 2) Doris Hart (USA): During her childhood, the American suffered from osteomyelitis, which resulted in a permanently impaired right leg. In spite of that, she has won 14 singles titles at major tournaments. Australian Open: (1950) French Open: (1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953) Wimbledon: (1947, 1951, 1952, 1953) US Open: (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954) 3) Shirley Fry Irvin (USA): Just like Maria Sharapova, the American has also won just four grand slams at the major tournaments.

Australian Open: (1957) Wimbledon: (1956) US Open: (1956) 4) Margaret Court (Australia): She has the record of winning the Australian Open for seven consecutive times. Australian Open: (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973) French Open: (1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1973) Wimbledon: (1963, 1965, 1970) US Open: (1962, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1973) 5) Billie Jean King (USA): She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women`s doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

Australian Open: (1968) Wimbledon: (1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975) US Open: (1967, 1971, 1972, 1974) 6) Chris Evert (USA): The former World No. 1 won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open.

Australian Open: (1982, 1984) French Open: (1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986) Wimbledon: (1974, 1976, 1981) US Open: (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982) 7) Martina Navratilova (Czech): Along with Margaret Court and Doris Hart, the 56-year-old has a unique record of winning a career Grand Slam in singles, women`s doubles, and mixed doubles (called the Grand Slam "boxed set"). She has also won the women’s singles title at the Wimbledon for a record nine times.

Australian Open: (1981, 1983, 1985) French Open: (1982, 1984) Wimbledon: (1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990) US Open: (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987) 8) Steffi Graf (Germany): The German is the only singles player to have achieved a Calendar Year Grand Slam while playing on all three major types of tennis courts (grass courts, clay courts and hard courts).

Australian Open (1988, 1989, 1990, 1994) French Open: (1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999) Wimbledon: (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996) US Open: (1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996) 9) Serena Williams (USA): The former World No 1 who dominated women tennis for quite some time with her powerful strokes is the recent women tennis player to hold a career slam simultaneously.

Australian Open: (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010) French Open: (2002) Wimbledon: (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010) US Open: (1999, 2002, 2008) 10) Maria Sharapova (Russia): The Women`s Tennis Association has ranked Sharapova World No. 1 in singles on five separate occasions, the first time being on August 22, 2005. The Russian has been has been in seven Grand Slam finals with a record of 4–3. Australian Open: (2008) Queens of the Court: Little Mo Connolly's Grand Slam Feat | Bleacher Report Queens of the Court: Little Mo Connolly's Grand Slam Feat By JA Allen , Senior Writer Nov 4, 2009 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories 858 20 Comments "There is nothing like competition.

It teaches you early in life to win and lose, and, when you lose, to put your chin out instead of dropping it." — Maureen Connolly Although her career spanned just a little over four years, Maureen Connolly’s reign at the top of women’s tennis was one of the game’s most dominant. Like many little girls growing up in America, Maureen Catherine ("Little Mo") Connolly loved horses. She wanted a horse of her own and she wanted to learn how to ride. But family circumstances prevented Mo’s mother from being able to afford to give her little girl riding lessons. Instead, her mother bought her the tennis racket she desired and enrolled her in lessons. Because of that, Maureen Connolly became a tennis player—perhaps the greatest tennis player her sport has ever known. Growing up in California aided her development, as, in San Diego, weather was hardly ever an issue. At the tender age of 10, she learned to play on the municipal courts of the City of San Diego, where her first coach, Wilbur Folsom, encouraged the young Connolly to switch from a left-handed grip to a right. Connolly was a natural left-hander.

As a consequence, that change allowed her more power and accuracy, and with the blossoming of her strong backhand, Miss Connolly became a baseline specialist, having developed overpowering groundstrokes from both sides. Once she established her game, Mo Connolly moved quickly into the rarefied air of champions. She came in second in the very first tournament she entered. Later, Connolly worked with world famous coach Eleanor "Teach" Tennant. Tennant had previously coached women’s champions Helen Wills Moody and Alice Marble. At age 14, she astounded the tennis world by winning 56 consecutive matches. She followed fast upon that feat by winning the U.S. National Championship for girls 18 and younger the following year. In 1951, at the age of 16, Connolly became the youngest ever to win the U.S. Championships by defeating Shirley Fry in the final at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, NY. Remarkably, Connolly lost only four more matches during the rest of her career. Expanding her tennis horizons in 1952, Connolly recaptured her U.S. Championship title and won Wimbledon for the first time.

After she hired a new coach, Harry Hopman in 1953, Connolly decided she was ready to enter all four slam events. Astoundingly, she won all four, making her the first woman ever to accomplish such a feat and the second person ever to win tennis’ Grand Slam—winning all four championships in a calendar year. During the four tournaments, Connolly dropped just one set. On the way, she defeated Julie Sampson Haywood to win the Australian Championships and Doris Hart to win the French Championships, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Championships. Connolly played aggressive all-court tennis, even though her strength remained rooted in her baseline game. She had tremendous foot speed. There were not many balls she could not reach and once she met the ball, the chances of it returning back over the net were slim. Throughout her career, Little Mo was a fierce competitor. In The New York Times during her era, Allison Danzig once wrote, “Maureen with her perfect timing, fluency, balance and confidence, has developed the most overpowering stroke of its kind the game has ever known.” In 1954, Connolly successfully defended her French and Wimbledon Championships, choosing not to go to Australia.

She, of course, was planning to defend her title at the U.S. Championships later in the summer. After attaining fame and fortune through tennis, Connolly was finally able to pursue her life-long love of being a horse-woman and she rode regularly now that money was no longer an issue. Her friends and neighbors presented her with a thoroughbred colt named Colonel Merryboy after Mo enjoyed a very successful European tour in 1952. While riding Merryboy during that fateful summer in 1954, Little Mo passed close by a cement mixer truck. Her horse reared and Mo Connolly’s right leg was crushed as she was forced against the truck. Her leg was broken and she suffered with deep gashes affecting muscles and tendons. Although there was initially hope of recovery, Little Mo would never play tennis again, and she was only 19 years of age. Connolly announced her retirement in February of 1955. Her accomplishments in her brief career were staggering. She had won the last nine Grand Slam tournaments she had entered. This also included winning 50 singles matches.

Australian Championships - Winner 1953 French Championships - Winner 1953, 1954 Wimbledon Championships - Winner 1952, 1953, 1954 U.S. Championships - Winner 1951, 1952, 1953. Because of her success and her youth, Connolly became a favorite with the media. She was the most popular female athlete of the year for three years between 1951-1953. Off-court, she remained approachable and friendly to the press. She loved tennis yet recognized the darker side of professional athletics. Being at the top of the game meant that you were always a target on court and that everybody sought to bring you down. The need to succeed and to win was part of being a champion, but it also brought out tremendous fear and anxiety in one so young. She once remarked, “Tennis can be a grind and there is always the danger of going stale if you think about it too much. You can get embittered if you train too hard and have nothing else on your mind.

You have to be able to relax between matches and between tournaments.” The end of her tennis career, however, did not end Connolly’s association with tennis. She wrote and coached and, eventually with her husband Norman Brinker, formed the Maureen Connolly Brinker Foundation to promote junior tennis. At the conclusion of her career, Connolly remarked, “Tennis is a wonderful game and I leave it with no regrets. I’ve had a full life with lots of travel and I’ve met lots of wonderful people...” Connolly died at the age of 34 with stomach cancer. She left behind a tennis legacy highlighted with these facts: (1) She was ranked in the top 10 from 1951 through 1954; (2) She was ranked world No. 1 from 1952-1954; (3) She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969; and (4) She was inducted into the International Women’s Hall of Fame in 1987. As stated previously a Grand Slam is defined as winning four majors in one calendar year.

Maureen Connolly Brinker was the first woman ever to win a Grand Slam in women’s tennis. She did so in 1953. The only other person to have accomplished this feat at the time was Don Budge on the men’s side in 1938. Rod Laver later won two Grand Slams in 1962 and in 1969 for the men. Since Little Mo’s accomplishment in 1953, Margaret Court won the Grand Slam in 1970 and Steffi Graf added one in 1988, as well as winning the Olympic Gold Medal in tennis singles that year for a “Golden Grand Slam.” The air is indeed rarefied for these superlative champions. Many have come close, but no one has accomplished a Grand Slam on the women’s side in over 20 years. Will it ever happen again? We wonder and wait...

[Quotes taken from in an article titled "On this Day, June 22, 1969."] Previous Queens of the Court articles by Clarabella Bevis and Claudia Celestial Girl: Helen Wills Moody, the Garbo of Tennis Tennis Grand Slam and Serena Williams: Calendar Grand Slam winners | SI.com Serena Williams can join elite group of only five calendar Grand Slam winners Share Jamie Lisanti Thursday July 23rd, 2015 The start of the 2015 U.S. Open is more than a month away but the stakes are already set: World No. 1 Serena Williams will look to win her fourth consecutive major title of the year and 22nd major title of her career, tying Steffi Graf’s record. Most notably, if Serena captures the title in New York she would also complete the calendar year Grand Slam—winning all four of the major tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open) in one calendar year—and join an elite group of only five singles players who have accomplished the feat. Here’s a look at the men and women that have made history and completed the calendar year Grand Slam, featuring exclusive clips from stories in the SI Vault.

Don Budge Hulton Archive/Getty Images In 1938, Don Budge was the first to complete the Grand Slam, an accomplishment thought to be unattainable at the time. He turned pro after winning the Grand Slam and beat esteemed players Ellsworth Vines and Fred Perry. He also played for the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1935–38, winning 25 of 29 matches, but gained the most fame for one particular match. In Budge’s obituary in the Feb. 7, 2000 issue of Sports Illustrated, Frank Deford wrote of the storied moment in tennis: "In 1937, just before he and Gottfried von Cramm stepped onto the court in the Davis Cup semifinal at Wimbledon (the tie was held at a neutral site), Hitler telephoned Cramm. 'Ja, mein Fuhrer,' Cramm said repeatedly into the phone. His victory would most likely have handed the Cup to Nazi Germany and kept it there throughout the war, possibly to be lost forever.

But with the magnificent match in Cramm's grasp, 4–1 in the fifth set, Budge changed tactics, started taking the ball on the rise and won 6-8, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 8-6. “Budge would have turned pro after that year, but he dreamed up the concept of winning the championships of the four nations that had won the Davis Cup—Australia, England, France and the U.S. Thus did Budge create the Grand Slam. And he positively breezed. I asked him once to describe the highlights. ‘You know, not a whole lot happened that year,’ he said. Budge was just too good. In fact, what he remembered most about his Grand Slam was earning a private concert from the great cellist Pablo Casals after winning the French.” With the termination of the pro tour in 1942, Budge enlisted in the Army Air Force and at the beginning of 1943, he tore a muscle in his right shoulder, which ultimately hurt his playing career. He retired in 1955 with 10 major titles, six of which were Grand Slams.

Maureen Connolly AP Photo Known as “Little Mo,” Maureen Connolly’s success on the tennis court began in 1951 when she won her first U.S. Open title at the age of 16. In 1953, Connolly became the first woman to win a Grand Slam, earning a win over Julie Sampson Haywood at the Australian Open and then Doris Hart in the finals of the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Her career tragically ended a year later when she crashed into a cement-mixing truck while riding on horseback in San Diego. Before retiring in 1955, Connolly won the last nine Grand Slam tournaments she played including 50 consecutive singles matches. In the Aug. 29, 1988 issue of Sports Illustrated, Deford wrote about Connolly and her place in tennis’ most elite group of Grand Slam winners: “Connolly is perhaps the least well known of this select group. But had her career not ended less than a year after she won the Slam, she might well be the standard against which all female players are measured.

[Steffi] Graf so reminds many of Connolly—in her style and dispatch as well as her precocity—that whatever Graf accomplishes will reflect glory upon Connolly. “Little Mo won her first Grand Slam title, the '51 U.S. Nationals, at 16, and was still a teenager when she won her last major, Wimbledon, in '54. All told she won nine Grand Slam tournaments, including six in a row. Connolly could be absolutely merciless with opponents—she gave up only 11 games in the entire Australian championship of '53—forcing herself to despise the poor woman across the net. "This was no passing dislike," Connolly wrote, "but a blazing, virulent, powerful and consuming hate." Rod Laver Popperfoto/Getty Images “Rocket” Rod Laver won his first Grand Slam titles in doubles in his home country of Australia and in mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1959. A year later, he claimed his first singles Grand Slam title in Australia. Those titles were just the beginning of a 13-year pro career that would see him rack up 200 career singles titles, including 11 Grand Slams.

He still holds the all time male singles record of 22 titles in a single season (1962). In the Sept. 7, 1962 issue of Sports Illustrated, Rex Lardner wrote about Laver’s first Grand Slam achievement: “Laver uses his wrist more than any other player in history except Frank Kovacs and he is the first player to combine a whipping wrist action with near-perfect control. Laver can hit a ball fiat, with topspin or with underspin, equally well from both sides. Like a squash player, he adds power to a shot and disguises its direction by putting wrist into his shot at the moment of impact. Few players have his repertory of strokes, and no player has been able to mask his shots better. He has tremendous kick on his serve, and his second serve finds its twisting way so deep in the service court that it often hits the chalk. But perhaps his greatest ability is to make forcing shots of returns that most players would be happy to get back at all. He is cool, too. Last July the jet that was carrying him to matches in Hilversum, in The Netherlands, suddenly dived sharply to avoid colliding with another plane.

Thirteen passengers had to be carried off the plane by stretcher-bearers, while the remainder left considerably shaken by the experience. Laver changed clothes, marched out onto the court and easily defeated his opponent. A Dutch official commented, ‘He nearly gets killed and then he comes out here and plays as if nothing had happened.’ Add to all this the most effective smash in amateur tennis today, the most lethal serve any man under 5 feet 10 has yet uncorked, an uncanny ability to hit finishing volleys from almost anywhere in midcourt (Laver never just puts the ball in play) and the fact that his left-handed shots curve and spin exactly opposite to what his opponents are accustomed to—and Rod Laver becomes a formidable opponent indeed.” After the start of the Open Era in 1968, Laver won the first Wimbledon championship of that year and the following year he became the only player in singles history to win a second Grand Slam—a feat that has yet to be matched by any player today. Margaret Court Ed Lacey/Popperfoto/Getty Images Like Laver, Margaret Court’s career also spanned the pre-Open and Open eras.

Court won her first singles title in Australia in 1960 and her dominance at her home Slam continued for 12 years, as she won a record 11 titles there in her career. In 1970, Court became the first woman of the Open Era to win the Grand Slam. As she attempted to complete the Slam, Gwilym S. Brown wrote about her unrivaled determination and style of play in the Sept. 14, 1970 issue of Sports Illustrated: “Mrs. Court, now 28 years old, is a sweet, simple country lass from New South Wales. Her tennis game, of course, is neither of these things. It is powerful, destructive, relentless and seemingly without a flaw. Definitely not on the sweet side. She is a superbly athletic animal, the physical equal of a great many men, but determination is really Margaret Court's chief trademark.

For almost 10 years—outstanding even among the Hards, the Buenos and the Moffitt-Kings—this passion to excel has made her the dominating figure in women's tennis.” Before retiring in 1977, Court achieved a 1,180-107 overall record and won 24 of 29 opportunities for major titles. Steffi Graf PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images The last player to accomplish the Grand Slam, Steffi Graf won her first major title in 1987, defeating Martina Navratilova at the French Open at the age of 17. Just a year later, the German beat Chris Evert at the Australian Open, Natalia Zvereva at the French Open, Navratilova at Wimbledon and Gabriela Sabatini at the U.S. Open to become the third woman to capture the Grand Slam. Just weeks later, Graf became the only player to win the Golden Grand Slam, or titles at all four majors and an Olympic Gold Medal in the same year. Following her win at the U.S. Open, Curry Kirkpatrick wrote about her historic tennis moment in the Sept.

19, 1988 issue of Sports Illustrated: “Perhaps Graf herself—so stern, so relentless, so impassive (just another day at the guillotine), so downright terrific—is to blame. Her emotions seem to run the gamut from A to B: from apathy to boredom. Surely she knew what she was accomplishing. Certainly she realized her place in history. "To achieve this at such an early age would be great," said Graf earlier in the tournament. “But after she had done so, she was asked if this was the greatest day of her life. ‘It's hard to say,’ said Graf. ‘It needs some time. The next couple of days will be good.’ Then she was gone, flying home to Bruhl, West Germany, almost before night had fallen on an achievement that even the normally phlegmatic [Ivan] Lendl called "amazing, unbelievable. I don't care if it was against old ladies or everybody was sick." Graf went on to win a record 22 Slam titles in her career—something that Serena is still chasing today. She retired from tennis in 1999 and two years later married fellow tennis star Andre Agassi.

Tags 2016 Little Mo PNW Sectional Championships Entry Fee: $65.00– All registration must be completed online.. Note: Players may play in any Little Mo Sectional but must follow the pathway to Nationals. Players must not turn 12 years of age in 2016. A portion of the fee goes back to the MCB Foundation to further junior tennis development. Deadline: TBD at midnight. Rsideuuuuuuuuusa.com Call us at 253-531-6300 or e-mail entry form with credit card information to sprinkertennis@comcast.net Events & Format: Boys and Girls 11 & under, 10 & under, 9 & under, and 8 & under. This is a singles only event. There will be a First Match Loser Consolation for players who lose in the first round. Players are guaranteed at least 2 matches. Players will use regular balls on a 78' court.

If there are enough entries, we will offer a separate event for 8's & 9's using "green dot" balls, however, PLEASE NOTE: The "green dot" ball events WILL NOT advance to Regional competition Eligibility: Players must not turn 12 years of age in 2017. Draw: Each age division limited to 32 players. Surface: Indoor & Outdoor Full Size (78') Hard Courts Balls: As of now, regular yellow balls will be used for all divisions. Additional Events: As of now, separate Green Dot ball divisions on 78' courts will be offered for the 8 & 9 year old divisions - PLEASE NOTE: These events DO NOT advance to Regional competition. Scoring: Two out of three sets with regular scoring and tie-breaker for 9, 10, 11 & under divisions. A 10-pt match tiebreak will be played in lieu of a third set. A 10-game pro-set with regular scoring and tie-breaker at 10-all for 8 & under. Match time: First match times will be available at or by calling Tennis Center after the deadline.

Information will also be available on the MCB website at and then, click on 2017 “Little Mo” Tournament Information. Trophies: Trophies will be awarded to winners, runners-up and consolation winners in each division. Hotels: King Oscar Hotel, 8820 S. Hosmer, Tacoma, WA 253-539-1153; Holiday Inn Express 8601 S. Hosmer, Tacoma, WA, 253-539-2020; Shilo Inn 7414 South Hosmer, Tacoma, WA, 253- 475-4020; Motel 6, 1811 So. 76th St., Tacoma, WA, 253-473-7100.

Tournament Director: Tracey Ferry Tournament Referee: Pat Block Information: Call (253) 531-6300 or email: sprinkertennis@comcast.net Division: Please circle one division: (USTA membership is not required.) Boys 11 Boys 10 Boys 9 Boys 8 Girls 11 Girls 10 Girls 9 Girls 8 Seeding Information: Please include on the back of this page the following information: ·Names and dates of recent tournaments played in. ·Opponents names, round played and whether won or lost ·Your ranking in 10’s or 12’s, if you have one. This is my first tennis tournament: Yes___ No___ ________________________________________________________________________ Waiver Agreement Acceptance of my entry in this event is without responsibility of any kind by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB), Sprinker Tennis Center, Pierce County, Northwest Tennis Corporation, and any other entity sponsoring the event.

I do hereby for and on behalf of myself and my heirs and legal representatives release and forever discharge MCB and the Sprinker Tennis Center (its officers and representatives), from any and all claims, demands, and injuries, however arising, whether caused by the negligent or intentional acts of the MCB and its representatives or other sponsoring entities, or by third parties, which injuries may be in any way related to my activities during the tournament and any period traveling to and from the event described and all such claims are hereby waived and released, and I covenant not to sue, therefore. I also give MCB permission to use any photographs of “Little Mo” players for publicity and promotion. I have read and understand the above release. (The Waiver Agreement must be signed for entry to be accepted.) Thank you.

For more “Little Mo” Tournament Information: (253) 531-6300 or sprinkertennis@comcast.net To register on-line go to: “Road to the 2017 Little Mo Nationals” The eight quarterfinalists in each age division from the PNW Sectional “Little Mo’ will advance to the Regional “Little Mo” which will be held in California.The four semifinalists from each age division in each Regional will advance to the prestigious “Little Mo” Nationals at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, TX. The Nationals features the top 16 players in the United States in each age division. This tournament is named after Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly, who was the first woman to win the Grand Slam when she was 18 years old.

Best Tennis Players by Decade Since the 1930's | Bleacher Report Best Tennis Players by Decade Since the 1930's Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images 33 Comments The growth of tennis since the 1930’s has seen the sport go from one dominated by amateurs to the Open Era that began in 1968. Tennis has changed arguably more than any other sport. The equipment and surface that tennis is played on has evolved more than other sport. As with other sports, more countries have players on both tours that ever before, and the prize money in the Grand Slams is beginning to become equitable. Tennis is probably the only sport that has a near-equal footing with both women and men. Since the Martina-Chrissy rivalry in the 1980’s, the WTA has garnered plenty of interest on its own. Tennis players legacies are judged on the amount of Grand Slam titles a player wins. The term was first used by New York Times writer John Kieran in 1933 when Australian Jack Crawford was attempting to become the first player to win the Grand Slam.

Kieran wrote, ''If Crawford wins, that would be something like scoring a grand slam on the courts, doubled and vulnerable.” His run was ended by England’s Fred Perry. Perry became the first player to capture the career slam in 1935, and Don Budge was the first player to win all four slams in the same year in 1938. They were among the first two players to dominate tennis. Judging the most dominant player by decade among the men is more difficult prior to the open era. Many of the men played on the pro tour. They also had their own version of the Grand Slam, and Perry would later win the Pro Slam. Starting with the coronation of the term Grand Slam, here is a look at the best players by decade beginning in the 1930’s. 1930’s Helen Wills Moody Getty Images/Getty Images Wills Moody was the first and, until the present, the only player to win the most Grand Slams by gender in two different decades. Serena Williams currently has won the most Grand Slams in the 2000’s and 2010’s.

She won her first title in 1923 and had already amassed 11 Grand Slam titles and one Olympic Gold Medal (1924) in the 1920’s. Between the 1926 and 1933 Wimbledon semifinals, Wills Moody went undefeated without dropping a set. She won eight Grand Slam titles in the 1930’s, three more than fellow American Helen Jacobs. Before Andy Murray captured his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2012, Fred Perry was a dominant player from the U.K. Perry was the dominant presence in tennis throughout the 1930’s. He was the first player, male or female, to win the Career Grand Slam. He accomplished the feat after winning the French Open title in 1935. He won eight Slams in the 1930’s. He could have had more, but turned pro in 1936. Only amateurs were allowed into the Grand Slams before 1968.

He won three straight Wimbledon titles from 1934-36, three US Open titles in four years from 1933-36 and led the British Davis Cup team to four straight Davis Cup titles between 1933-36. He added the U.S. Professional title in 1938. 1940’s Margaret Osborne DuPont Getty Images/Getty Images The 1940’s are a hard era to judge. During World War II, only the US Open was held. Wimbledon and the French Open were cancelled between 1940-1945, and the Australian Open was not held from 1941-1945. Frank Parker’s four titles led the men in the 1940’s, and Pauline Betz Addie and Margaret Osborne DuPont led the women with five. In the late 1930’s, the professional men’s tour started to gain momentum. Some of the biggest names in tennis began playing professionally in the 1940’s. Jack Kramer won three Grand Slam titles and two professional major titles. Bobby Riggs won four combined grand slam-pro majors.

If you add in her Grand Slam doubles titles in the 1940’s, DuPont’s total escalates to 20. She was the most dominant player in tennis during the 1940’s 1950’s Maureen Connolly Matthew Stockman/Getty Images “Little Mo” was the most dominant player in the tennis in the 1950’s. She accomplished a lot in short period of time. She won nine Grand Slam titles between 1951-54, all by the age of 19. A horseback riding accident ended her career early. She won the last nine Grand Slams she entered and had a 50-match Grand Slam winning streak. Her title at the French Open in 1953 made her the first female player to capture the career grand slam. She would go on to win Wimbledon and the US Open that year to become the first woman to win all four slams in the same year. The tragedy of her life would continue, as Conolly passed away from cancer at the age of 34 in 1969. She left behind a husband and two daughters.

The most dominant male amateur in the 1950’s was Tony Trabert. Trabert won five Grand Slam titles in the 1950 and also followed that up with titles at the 1956 and 1959 French Pro titles. Pancho Gonzales was arguably the most dominant player in the 1950’s overall. He won 11 professional slam titles and three tournament of champions. He won the Wembley Pro (England) from 1950-52 and the US Pro championship from 1953-59. The comparisons are difficult. Prior to the open era, professionals competed on a different tour. It was thought the professional tour was superior, but it’s hard to tell. Overall, because of her impact on the sport and her complete dominance in career that was cut short, Connolly was the most dominant player of the 1950’s. 1960’s Margaret Court Tony Duffy/Getty Images The 1960’s was the era that the professionals began to break away from the amateur events. Although they had stronger fields, it was still the amateur events that captured the public’s imagination.

The Open ERA would eventually change everything, beginning with the 1968 French Open. Margaret Court's 16 Grand Slam titles during the 1960’s are the most in any decade by any player, male or female. Seven of those titles came in her home country of Australia, although a grand slam did not have the competitive fields that they have today. All but three of those titles occurred before the advent of the open era. Court won all but Wimbledon in 1969 and followed that up with the Grand Slam in 1970. From the 1969 Australian Open through 1971 down under, Court captured eight of the nine slams. Her 24 career Grand Slams are still the record. Roy Emerson won the most Grand Slam titles by a man in the 1960’s with 12, but Rod Laver was the undisputed king of tennis in the 1960. Laver twice won a grand slam (1962 and 1969), won 11 Grand Slam titles and eight majors on the professional tour before the Open Era. Court gets the nod as the most dominant player of the decade.

Her record of 16 Grand Slams in a decade still stands. It has been challenged twice. Martina Navratilova won 15 in the 1980s, and Roger Federer matched that in the 2000s. 1970’s Bjorn Borg Tony Duffy/Getty Images The dawn of the open era placed all the players on the same tour. The best players were now in an equitable place for comparison. The women had three dominant players during the 1970’s. Chris Evert’s career began, and her nine grand slam titles were the most of any player male or female during the decade. Court was just behind her with eight, and Billie Jean King won seven of her 12 career grand slam titles in the decade. Bjorn Borg earns the title of most dominant player of the 1970’s. His eight grand slam titles were three more than any other man. He won the last four Wimbledons of the decade and the last two French Opens. He only played in one Australian Open. It was not a given during that era that the top players would compete down under. He also advanced to two US Open finals during the decade.

His 11 career Slams overall rank fourth all-time among men. 1980’s Martina Navratilova Tony Duffy/Getty Images Navratilova entered the 1980’s having won the final two Wimbledons of the 1970’s. Her rise and rivalry with Chris Evert was one of the biggest attractions for what some consider the golden age of tennis. With Evert, they held an unprecedented dominance over the sport. They played 61 times in the finals of a tournament, including 14 times in a grand slam final. Eleven of those 14 meetings in a Grand Slam final occurred in the 1980’s. Navratilova won all but three of those meetings. Navratilova was the ITA World Champion and WTA Player of the Year from 1982-86. She won six straight Wimbledon titles between 1982-87 and also captured four US Open titles in that timespan. Her 15 Grand Slam titles in the 80’s occurred from the 1981 Australian Open through the 1987 US Open.

She held all four Grand Slam titles at the same time when she won the last three titles of 1984 and the Australian in 1985. She had one of the greatest seasons in tennis history in 1984. During that season, Navratilova had a 74-match winning streak. Ivan Lendl: If not for Navratilova, fellow Czech Lendl would have been the most dominant player during the 1980’s. His seven Grand Slam titles fall far short of Navratilova, but he was best player of the decade for the men. In addition to his seven Grand Slam titles, Lendl also finished runner-up in a slam nine times. He was the ITF Champion and ATP Player of the year from 1985-1987. 1990's Pete Sampras Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Pete Sampras held near complete domination over the men’s game during the 1990’s. He won 12 Grand Slam titles. Andre Agassi’s five was the second highest amount. The 12 titles tied Roy Emerson’s record for slams in a career.

He won two more titles in the 2000’s to set the record for 14. It was broken by Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. Twelve of his 14 Grand Slam titles came at the US Open and Wimbledon. His seven titles are tied for the most ever with William Renshaw and Federer. Six of those came in the 1990’s, and four of his five US Open titles occurred in the 1990’s. Sampras also claimed the Australian Open in 1994 and 1997. His best finish at the French Open was a semifinal run in 1996. Sampras was also a member of two Davis Cup-winning teams. He teamed with John McEnroe to give the US a doubles point in 1992. In 1995, he almost singlehandedly led the United States to victory. He won both of his singles matches and teamed with Todd Martin to earn the doubles point. Sampras finished the 90’s with 61 titles and an 11-2 record in Grand Slam finals.

Steffi Graf was the most dominant woman of the 1990’s. If she had began her career about four years later, she would have had the most dominant decade in the history of tennis. By the time the 1990’s began, Graf had accumulated eight Grand Slam titles, a gold medal and the Golden Slam in 1988. She ended the 1980’s with Martina Navratilova as her main rival. Monica Seles was the dominant player from 1991 through the 1993 Australian Open. She won eight out of the 12 Grand Slams during that stretch. If not for Graf’s straight set win over Seles at Wimbledon in 1992, Seles would have captured the Grand Slam. Seles’ 1993 stabbing by a fan of Graf’s opened the door for Graf to regain her dominance. From that point forward, she won the next four Grand Slam titles. In 1995 and 1996, she did not play in Australia, but won the other three Grand Slams back-to-back. She won her final title in Paris in 1999.

2000’s Roger Federer Paul Gilham/Getty Images Federer’s dominance in the 2000’s is unprecedented. His 15 titles during the decade rank as the most titles ever by a male in their career and tied him for the most in any decade with Martina Navratilova. Federer’s dominance transcends tennis. His dominance of tennis in the 2000’s is in the discussion for any sport. After quarterfinals at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2001, Federer did not win his first Grand Slam until Wimbledon 2003. During his 2001 run, he defeated Sampras in five sets in the fourth round. That was the effective passing of the torch from the two greatest Wimbledon champions. From 2004 Wimbledon until the 2010 Australian Open, he advanced to an astounding 22 consecutive Grand Slam Semifinals. In the middle of that streak, he played for an incredible 10 consecutive Grand Slam Finals, winning eight. When he won the ever elusive French Open in 2009, Federer became the sixth man to win the career grand slam.

The only title he has yet to win is a singles gold medal in the Olympics. Serena Williams' 10 grand slam titles in the 2000’s rank fifth among women all-time. She missed five grand slam tournaments during the decade. When she won the last three grand slam in 2002 and the Australian Open in 2003, she was dubbed with the Serena Slam. She repeated at Wimbledon in 2004 for a total of five out of six grand slam titles. She was 10-2 in the decade in Grand Slam finals and also captured two WTA Tour Year End Championships 2010’s Novak Djokovic Matthew Stockman/Getty Images With only three years complete in the decade, choosing the most dominant player was difficult. Rafael Nadal ’s five Grand Slam titles and three runners-ups top Djokovic’s four and three. Nadal lost in the quarterfinals in Australia in 2010 and 2011 and lost in the second round at Wimbledon before sitting out the US Open in 2012 with injury problems. Djokovic is currently on a run similar to Federer in the 2000’s.

After losing in the quarterfinals in Australia and at the French in 2010, he has gone on a run of 10 straight semifinal appearances in a Grand Slam. Djokovic has also has 17 titles thus far in the 2010’s. His 2011 season clinches the title for him. He finished the season 70-6 and had a 43-match winning streak to begin the season. His streak included victories in seven consecutive tournaments. He beat Nadal six times in a tournament final on three different surfaces. Serena Williams is one of only two players to ever win the most Grand Slam titles by gender over the course of two decades. Helen Willis Moody had the most in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She followed up her dominance to begin the 21st century with four Grand Slams thus far through the 2012 US Open. She is one of only a handful of players to win a Grand Slam title in three different decades.

Martina Navratilova was the last player to accomplish that with titles in the 1970’s, 80’s and 1990’s. She won titles in Australia and Wimbledon and capped it with titles at Wimbledon, an Olympic gold medal (just weeks later again at Wimbledon) and the US Open. She is challenging to become the greatest woman of all-time. She accomplished all this in the 2010’s despite missing the 2010 US Open and 2011 Australian and French Open’s with a severe foot injury.

Question: Nicknamed "Little Mo" who was the first player to win the Grand Slam in women's tennis?
Answer: MAUREEN CONNOLLY